


Face Down

by mellod89



Series: Song Verse [16]
Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Abusive Relationships, Blackmail, Dark!Marco, Gender Dysphoria, M/M, Manipulation, Misgendering, Non Graphic Suicide Attempt, Rape/Non-con Elements, Song fic, Trans Armin Arlert, Trans Male Character
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-21
Updated: 2015-02-21
Packaged: 2018-03-14 09:10:01
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,344
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3405155
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mellod89/pseuds/mellod89
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Do you feel like a man, when you push her around?<br/>Do you feel better now as she falls to the ground?<br/>Well, I'll tell you my friend, one day this world's going to end<br/>As your lies crumble down, a new life she has found<br/>~Red Jumpsuit Apparatus</p><p>Sequel to Good Enough</p>
            </blockquote>





	Face Down

**Author's Note:**

> PLEASE READ! As promised, here is the sequel to [Good Enough](http://archiveofourown.org/works/3086516) . It's not necessary to have read that before reading this because there are enough references as to what happened, but if you want to know exactly what happened, read Good Enough first. This is not as dark, but it still deals with very heavy themes. Things will get better for Armin I promise, and I have plans to write at least one more story in this universe to wrap everything up. The fraternity name mentioned is a fake one. I pulled it off of a list of movie fraternities and cross checked it with a list of actual ones, so don't yell at me for that or pretty much anything else to do with this. Unless you see a typo. That I don't mind since this is unbetaed. 
> 
> Here's a link to the song this was inspired by: www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Ux6SlOE9Qk
> 
> Hope you enjoy!

When Eren walked into his dorm room to find Armin sitting at his desk, he was surprised. Since their argument, Armin avoided him like the plague. Eren would only catch glimpses of him from across the quad, usually hanging off of Marco’s arm, before they’d disappeare from sight. Now he was glad that his best friend was here.

He took in the way Armin’s clothes hung off his already small frame. Armin’s skin was even paler than it was the last time he saw him, make up covered patches of skin where he assumed there were bruises, and his eyes looked deep and hollow as he scratched away at whatever he was working on. Eren sighed as he dropped his bag onto his bed.

“Hey Min.”

Armin looked up from his desk at him. “Hey.”

“It’s been a while. I missed you.” Eren wrapped his arms around his chest. “So, what have you been up to? Everyone’s been wondering where you’ve been.”

“I’ve been busy,” Armin said dismissively going back to what he was doing.

“Oh.” Eren looked down at his feet. “Well, if you’re not busy tonight, a bunch of us are getting together at Reiner’s and Bert’s. We’re having a movie night.”

“Can’t. Marco has a surprise for me.”

“Oh, well some other time then?” Eren looked at Armin hopefully.

“Maybe.” A beep goes off and Armin checks his phone. “I have to go.” Armin stood and grabbed his bag.

“You know I love you, right?”

Armin paused.

“I’ll be here for you no matter what.”

Armin nodded his head and left the room. Eren sighed. He walked over to Armin’s desk to take a peek at what Armin was working on, and paled. 

 _Dorm Room Transfer Form._    

**

“Mikasa he’s planning on moving,” Eren said panic coloring his voice.

“Are you sure?” She took a sip of her peppermint mocha.

“Yes. It was sitting on his desk partially filled out.” He frowned.

“Isn’t it too late to turn one of those in? The semester’s already a few weeks in.”

“Actually right now is the perfect time because unchecked in rooms after two weeks with no prior arrangements to move in later are up for grabs.”

“Shit.” Mikasa raked her hand through her short locks.  

“What are we going to do? If he leaves now, there’s no way we can help him especially with how Marco is pretty much dictating his every move. He practically admitted that Marco is hurting him, and he’s just allowing it because he thinks no one else wants him.”

“Have you told him you loved him?”

Eren blushed. “Yeah?”

Mikasa eyed him pointedly. “As more than a friend?”

Eren looked away from her. “Maybe?”

“Eren!”

“It’s not that easy okay! I wanted to wait until he was comfortable with himself. You know how hard it was for him in high school. I just wanted him to know that he could rely on me as a friend without any of that extra pressure,” Eren sighed, “now look where it’s gotten me.”

“It’s not your fault that this happened to him.” Mikasa leaned across the table to grab one of Eren’s hands. 

“Isn't it? If I hadn't dragged him to that party last semester, they never would have met and none of this would be happening.”

“You can’t think like that. It’s not helping you, and it’s certainly not helping Armin.”

“Then what am I supposed to do? I can’t lose him.”

“You fight.” Mikasa sat back up. “You can’t exactly call the police on Marco because we have no proof without Armin’s word, but you show him that you’re there for him no matter what. Keep inviting him out, and I’ll make sure that everyone else does the same, so he knows that he can come to us at any time.”

“But that’s not enough!”

Mikasa shrugged. “It’s all we really can do for now. I can check with the counseling center to see what they recommend doing, but in the meantime, I heard that there was going to be a party tonight at Marco’s frat. Think we should crash it?”

Eren grinned for the first time in what felt like months. “Best sister ever.”

Mikasa smirked. “I know.”

**

Mikasa and Eren wandered through the Alpha Nu house looking for Armin. It was packed because they were celebrating the new line that had recently crossed making it difficult to locate the small blond. Eren suggested they split up and look for Marco instead seeing as how the two of them rarely went anywhere without each other. Eren went to the back of the house while Mikasa checked the basement where loud cheers could be heard.  

Eren pushed past a group crowding around the entrance to the kitchen when heard Marco’s familiar voice. He stopped in his tracks and craned his head around the people. Marco was standing on top of the island conducting some sort of drinking contest. Armin was sitting at his feet clinging to his leg like some sort of pet. Eren frowned and pulled out his phone letting Mikasa know that he'd found him.  

He pushed his way closer to them trying to meet Armin’s eyes. Cheers erupted around him as a winner was chosen. Marco pulled Armin to stand up next to him and called the winner to stand on the island as well.

“Claim your prize,” Marco cheered.

The guy grinned, pulling Armin into his arms, and forcibly kissed him. Armin lost what little color he had in his cheeks and went stiff. Eren saw red. Before he even realized it, he pushed his way to the island, pulled the offender off of Armin, and punched him in the face.

“Eren!” Duel voices called out.

He didn’t hear them.

His focus was on the man in front of him.

Fists cracked bone.

Blood splattered as skin split.

Cries of shock and fear erupted around him.

But his lone thought was Armin.

_Keep him safe._

_Make them pay._

“Eren get off of him!”

“Someone call the cops!”

“Don’t call the cops! Are you crazy?”

“Somebody do something before he kills him!”

None of the noise filtered through.

Hands grabbed at him pulling him away and holding him down.

He thrashed and screamed, “Don’t touch him you sick fuck! Let me go! Nobody touches Armin!”

“Eren calm down,” Mikasa whispered into his ear. “You’re scaring Armin.”

That’s when the haze cleared. His green eyes met fearful blue, and he hesitated.

“Armin?”

Armin shook his head and took off running out of the room.

“Armin!” Eren called after him and tried to follow, but a wall of guys blocked his way. “Move!” Eren pushed at them, but they pushed right back.

“You’re not going anywhere except for out the front door.”

Eren turned to see Marco walking towards him arms crossed.

Marco stopped right in front of him. “You are hereby banned from all Alpha Nu functions effective immediately. We don’t take kindly to outsiders harming out members.” He leaned into to whisper into Eren’s ear, “Armin’s mine. You lose.”

“Grrrah!” Eren cried and tried to launch himself at Marco, but the guys behind him pulled him back.

“Get him out of here. Clearly he can’t control himself.” Marco smirked

Eren redoubled his efforts to escape the hold of the guys behind him, but it was pointless as they dragged him through the house and out the front door. They threw him off the steps, and he landed face first on the front lawn.

“Don’t come back,” one of them called before they headed back inside.

He groaned and rolled over to find Mikasa standing over him.

“What the hell were you thinking, Eren? You could have killed that guy!” She held out her hand, and he took it, pulling himself up to stand.

“He forced himself on Armin, and Marco allowed it. I couldn't just stand there and let it happen,” he growled.

“Well thanks to you, Armin’s most definitely going to move out now, and he’s probably never going to speak to you again.” Mikasa crossed her arms frowning.

Eren blanched. “I was just trying to protect him!”

“But did he ask for it? No. You went too far this time, Eren, and I have no clue how you’re going to fix it, but you need to. Now let’s go before someone changes their mind and decides to call the cops.”

Eren hung his head down, and followed after her. He really did make a mess of things this time.

**

Armin hadn’t been back to their room in a week, at least not while Eren was there. He knew Armin had stopped by at some point because the Dorm Room Transfer Form was gone off of his desk, and all of his text books were gone as was a large chunk of his clothes.

One day after his last class, Eren walked into the room to find Armin’s storage boxes pulled out. Some still looked like they were in the midst of being filled, but most of them were stacked near the door ready to be taken away. Armin’s bed was stripped of its bedding. All of his posters were taken down. None of his novels were in sight.

He was really leaving.

Eren dropped his bag on the floor near his desk and flopped down on his bed. He really screwed things up.

“Fuck,” he cried out to the empty room slamming his already sore fist into the wall. “Shit,” he hissed cradling his hand to his chest.

“Still haven’t gotten over those violent tendencies I see.”

Eren sat up to see Marco standing in the middle of the room. “What the fuck are you doing here?”

“Armin asked me to meet him here to help him finish packing, so all we had to do when he got here was load up his stuff in my car.” Marco smirked.

“He shouldn’t be leaving at all,” Eren growled.

“And whose fault was that?” Marco grinned. “Guess some of us have to work on our people skills.”

Eren glared. “I hope you’re not talking about me because last time I checked I wasn't the one that convinced him that he was my slave to keep him in an abusive relationship.”

Marco shrugged. “Who said that I was abusing him? You can’t abuse someone that likes it, now can you?”

Eren stood. “Then why would he call himself a ‘sick twisted fuck’ and a ‘bad girl’ if he liked whatever the hell you’re doing to him?”

“Because he is one,” Marco said simply. “The things he lets me do to him…” Marco closed his eyes and hummed. “I’m going to enjoy breaking the little freak further. To be honest, I never thought that I’d be able to do half of the things I've done. Good thing all it took was some positive reinforcement, and now she’ll do anything I want.”

“He’ll,” Eren growled.

“What?”

“Armin is a boy.”

Marco shrugged. “I can call _her_ whatever the hell I want, and there’s nothing you can do about it.”

Eren pushed Marco in the chest. “How the hell do you live with yourself? Do you even care about him?”

Marco pushed back. “Look you little shit, Armin is mine to do whatever I want with, and do you know why? Because I own the little bitch and all it took was a promise to keep calling her a ‘good boy.” Marco snorted. “Maybe if you do the same she’ll let you into her tight pussy. I know how much you want it, and it worked wonders for my frat brothers. You should give it a try.”

_Thump._

They turned to see Armin standing in the door way, book bag on the ground.

“Baby, this isn’t what you think. I didn’t mean it.” Marco rushed over to Armin placing a hand on his shoulder.

Armin flinched away. “Don’t touch me.”

“Armin, baby, just listen to me.” Marco reached out to him.

“I said don’t touch me,” Armin yelled voice trembling.

Marco backed away from him.

“Min?” Eren took a step towards him.

Armin just shook his head and bolted to their shared bathroom.

“Armin!” Eren darted for the bathroom door and jiggled the handle, but it was locked. “Armin let me in!”

“Go away!”

“Please unlock the door. I just want to talk to you.” Eren could hear the faucet running, but Armin didn't respond. He continued to pound on the door, but all he could hear was running water and vague shuffling. “Armin? You’re starting to worry me. Please let me in.”

Silence, then a thud.

“Armin!” Eren jiggled the handle again, but it was no use. He slammed his shoulder into the door, but it wouldn't budge. He turned to find that Marco had bolted. “Shit.”

He ran across the hall and pounded on the door. Connie opened it.

“Whoa, Eren. Someone die?”

“Not yet, but Armin might.”

“What?” Connie paled. 

“I need you to get the dorm manager and call 911. Armin locked our bathroom door and won’t come out, and I heard a thud.” Eren rambled out.

“Shit!” Connie grabbed his phone and dialed as he ran to the dorm’s office.

Eren ran back to his room, and tried to break down the door, but to no avail.

Time slowed.

His heart pounded.   

“Please don’t die,” he muttered over and over.

**

The noise of the heart monitor filled the air. The ventilator was finally removed from the room as Armin was finally breathing on his own, but he had yet to wake up. The doctors said it would be any day now. They just had to be patient.

Seven days.

It felt like a lifetime since the day Armin learned the truth. He thought he’d lost his best friend, when the paramedics broke down the bathroom door. There was so much blood and pill bottles littered the floor. Eren couldn't remember much after that. Everything was a blur. One minute he was standing in front of the bathroom door, and the next he was in the emergency room.

At some point, the police showed up and questioned him, but he wasn't much help, so they left him alone in the care of his friends. They promised to be back later to question him, but he wasn't paying much attention. He let Mikasa take care of everything. When they eventually returned, he told them everything that happened over the past few weeks starting with his observations about Armin’s odd behavior and ending with what lead up to Armin locking himself in the bathroom. They said they’d question Marco about what he said, but not much could be done until Armin woke.

When Armin’s Grandfather arrived, he finally broke out of his stupor.  Tears clouded Eren’s vision as he apologized to him. He had promised to look out for Armin while they were away at school, and he failed. Grandfather didn't blame him, but he should have. All of this was Eren’s fault. Everyone told him otherwise, but he knew the truth. None of this would have happened if he hadn't forced Armin to go with him to that party last semester. He ruined Armin’s life all because he wanted to go out and get drunk. Some friend he was.

Armin deserved better.

Eren sighed, grabbing Armin’s hand. “I’m so sorry. Please wake up,” he whispered for the thousandth time. “I don’t know what I’ll do if you don’t wake up. I need you to wake up.”

Eren was met with silence.

A nurse came in to check his vitals. She told him that visiting hours would be ending in an hour, and he just nodded his head not taking his eyes off of the boy in front of him. He knew the schedule well enough.

**

Eren showed up bright and early the next morning. He promised Armin every night before he left that he’d be back as soon as he was allowed, and he had yet to have failed to keep it. He said hello to the nurses at the station, and they smiled back at him in greeting.

“He’s awake now. He woke up for a bit sometime last night, but he’s been up for about half an hour now. He’s been asking for you. ”

Eren didn’t need to hear any more before he bolted for Armin’s room. He breathed a sigh of relief when he finally opened Armin’s door to find him sitting up in bed talking to his Grandfather.

“Armin!” He hesitated in the door way, unsure of what to do now that Armin was awake.

“Hey, Eren.”

“Why don’t I let the two of you talk. I’ll be right outside talking to one of the nurses to see when the detectives will arrive. ” Grandfather stood and left the room.

Eren walked over and sat in the chair Grandfather vacated. “How are you feeling?” 

“Like shit and I wish I was dead, but here we are.”

Eren frowned.

“Don’t look at me like that," Armin hissed. "You would say the same thing too if you found out that your boyfriend thought you were a freak. I knew love was a long shot, but at least he took care of me after he made me… And he showed me that he cared! He only called me a girl if I was bad, and I thought that maybe I could make him love me, and he’d grow tired of all that other crap, and it would just be the two of us, but I should have known that no one would want a freak like me.” Armin trailed off no longer meeting Eren’s eyes.

“That’s not true.” Eren wanted to touch him, cradle him in his arms and confess his love, but not now. Armin needed a friend. Confessions of love could wait. “Someone out there will love you for who you are. It’d be hard not to.”

Armin shook his head. “No one could possible love me. Marco made sure of that.”

“What are you talking about?”

Tears trailed down Armin’s cheeks. “The pictures.”

“What pictures?”

“Every time we… or when he made me…with other people, he’d take pictures. It’s how he got me to go back to him that first time. Said he get someone to post them on the campus website. The text is still on my phone.” Armin shook his head. “I’m so stupid.” Sobs erupted from his mouth and Eren sat on the bed, pulling him into his arms.

“He took advantage of you. If anyone is stupid, it’s him not you. You have so many people willing to fight for you. Marco’s going to regret meeting you by the time we’re done with him.”

“How?” Armin sniffled. “He’s rich and powerful and smart. There’s no way this will end well for me.”

“Do you know if your phone is here?”

“Yeah. It was in my pants pocket.”

“Then we can show that text to the police when they get here. We’ll build a case against him and everyone else that hurt you. Mikasa will even help. She may be only a law student, but she’s an intern at a top firm. She’ll know what needs to be done.”

Armin finally met Eren’s eyes, disbelief covering his face. “Why would you do all of this when I completely pushed you away?”

“Because I love you and you’re my best friend and no one should have to go through anything like this alone.”

Grandfather stepped into the room. “Armin, the police are here. Are you ready to talk to them?” 

Armin looked at Eren then back to Grandfather. “Yeah,” he said voice trembling. “I’m ready.”

“I’ll let them know.” Grandfather stepped out of the room.

“Eren, will you stay with me?” Armin looked at him, fear in his eyes.

“Always.” Eren gripped Armin’s hand tight.

They’d get through this together, and maybe one day Eren would finally tell him what he really felt. For now, he’d take comfort in knowing that his best friend was going to one day be okay.

   

**Author's Note:**

> http://melloadams.tumblr.com/


End file.
